palpable
Americanadjective
-
(usually prenominal) easily perceived by the senses or the mind; obvious
the excuse was a palpable lie
-
capable of being touched; tangible
-
med capable of being discerned by the sense of touch
a palpable tumour
Other Word Forms
- nonpalpability noun
- nonpalpable adjective
- nonpalpably adverb
- palpability noun
- palpableness noun
- palpably adverb
- unpalpable adjective
- unpalpably adverb
Etymology
Origin of palpable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin palpābilis “touchable,” from palpā(re) “to stroke, touch” ( palpate 1 ) + -bilis -ble
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pair's palpable chemistry has also elevated them to idol-like status in Vietnam and the Philippines, with fans even buying out LED billboards and hosting Heated Rivalry-themed festivities to celebrate Williams and Storrie's birthdays.
From BBC
A minute's silence at 10:00 brought Kyiv to a halt on a sombre day for Ukraine, though on on which a sense of solidarity was palpable.
From BBC
Chapman said that her flight from Toronto in early February was mostly empty and that there was a palpable decline in Canadian tourists in the desert town.
From Los Angeles Times
It was down to the last five quickest from the first leg, the tension palpable around a packed tribune.
From Barron's
There was certainly a palpable sense of relief that after all the upsets of the last few months, with tariffs and the threat of a US grab for Greenland, the transatlantic alliance was not dead.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
